Lagos, a rapidly growing megacity, stands at a critical juncture in its environmental sustainability efforts. With the full enforcement of the ban on Single-Use Plastics (SUPs) set to commence on 1 July 2025, the Lagos State Government is making it clear that now is the time for decisive action.

After an 18-month transition period, officials believe residents and manufacturers have had ample time to align with the new direction. Yet, as Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, has stressed, the message does not seem to be sinking in quickly enough, yet time is ticking fast for those yet to be weaned off their appetite for harmful packaging content, hurting the drainages when it rains.

The decision to ban SUPs was not made on impulse but was a calculated response to several environmental crises facing Lagos. With a landmass of just 3,575 square kilometres and nearly 10 percent of Nigeria’s population, Lagos is highly vulnerable to waste-related disasters.

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Its coastal position makes it particularly susceptible to flooding, which is worsened by the persistent blockage of drainage systems by plastic waste.

Commissioner Wahab explained this dynamic while also confirming that the phased approach was intentional—the ban on Styrofoam food packs in 2024 was supposed to serve as a precursor to the broader elimination of SUPs.

By July 1st, we will start full enforcement of the ban on Single Use Plastics (SUPs) just the way we did for styrofoam food packs in Lagos state, and we believe that this is reasonable enough.

Let me also say this: ‘When we were to announce the ban on styrofoam food packs, we had engagements and I remember people were worried, and we felt we would not throw away the baby with the bathwater’.

Steps needed now

For the elimination of single-use plastics to be effective, several key measures need to be in place. Officials know they ought to ensure manufacturers, distributors, and retailers comply with the law. Companies failing to transition must be held accountable, as Wahab emphasised.

Today we are here, we are all birds of passage, tomorrow we will not be here. Let them say of us that we did the right thing at the right time for the greater good of our people. And that is what all these are all about.

In what seems like the final days of their re-education, they are being encouraged to adopt alternative products such as biodegradable packaging and reusable containers, and this is where Tetra Pak® Services could come in.

A partnership with Tetra Pak, a Swedish multinational known for its commitment to sustainability, offers promising prospects for Lagos. As Haithem Debbiche, Managing Director of Tetra Pak West Africa, affirmed, we just want you to know that we are fully in support of the Laws of the Lagos State government and we have been making significant progress, but we recognise there is still a lot more to be done.

With expertise in sustainable packaging and food safety, Tetra Pak could assist the city in developing alternative packaging solutions and establishing recycling infrastructure.

By combining firm policy enforcement, public engagement, and strategic collaboration, Lagos has a real chance to transform its environmental future. As Wahab underscored, change is coming—and it will be permanent.

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Ayodele Johnson

Ayodelé is a Lagos-based journalist and the Content and Editorial Coordinator at Meiza. All around the megacity, I am steering diverse lifestyle magazine audiences with ingenious hacks and insights that spur fast, informed decisions in their busy lives.